It was injuries that derailed what early on looked like a banner season for the Harvard Crimson. So it seems appropriate that the team’s ability to rebound from injuries played a key role on Saturday as the Crimson advanced to the ECAC quarterfinals with a 4-3 win in front of 662 fans at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
Colin Blackwell, who missed all of last season and much of this with concussion-related symptoms, notched his third goal of the weekend, and Brian Hart, who is taking the place of an injured Alex Kerfoot on Harvard’s top line, helped that line score three first-period goals to key the victory.
Both Jimmy Vesey and Kyle Criscuolo each had a goal and two assists, while Brown’s Nick Lappin scored twice in defeat.
“I thought [the first line] was just relentless,” said Donato of the trio that each notched first-period goals to spot Harvard a 3-1 lead. “Brian Hart had his best game in quite some time. It’s nice to see those guys ignite.
“Blackwell was dangerous again every shift. It was a good, solid team effort.”
The Crimson stormed to a 4-1 lead, only to see Brown charge back with desperation.
After getting outplayed in the first, Brown balanced the ice better in the second and was able to strike with 5:16 remaining when Davey Middleton banged home a rebound from the top of the crease to give Brown life down 4-2 after two periods.
Once Nick Lappin scored his second goal of the game with 8:53 remaining, there were plenty of tense moments.
That’s where Harvard goaltender Steve Michalek, who finished the game with 24 saves, including eight in the third, shut the door.
It was Nick Lappin who gave Brown an early lead, firing a shot past Michalek on a faceoff win at 2:23 of the first, but that was Brown’s only sniff at offense in the opening frame, and the Crimson’s top line took over from there.
Vesey scored first, firing a shot against the grain past Brown netmidner Tim Ernst (24 saves) at 7:51. Just 1:57 later, Vesey set up Criscuolo, who fired a shot high glove side past Ernst.
After Harvard killed a Brown power play, Hart got in on the action, taking a Criscuolo pass behind the net and stuffing it inside the right post at 17:52 for the 3-1 lead.
Shots on goal in the first significantly favored Harvard, 15-6.
In the second, Blackwell, playing in his fourth straight game since returning from injury, potted his third goal of the weekend, ripping a high shot blocker side at 1:07.
Brown coach Brendan Whittet later called his timeout and regrouped his club, a move that certainly worked to inspire his team, but wasn’t enough to claw back from the large deficit.
“I give our guys credit, they didn’t give up,” said Whittet. “I was proud of the battle effort. We had chances. We just can’t put ourselves in a 4-1 deficit. It was too much to overcome.”
Brown, which started the season slow but was 4-1-3 in its last eight coming into this season, ends its season at 8-20-3.
Harvard advances in a playoff series for the first time since 2012, when it reached the ECAC finals, falling to Union. The Crimson (17-11-3) will now face Yale on the road next weekend in a best-of-three series and will have to advance past the Bulldogs to keep alive hope for an NCAA at-large bid.
